» PLANNING A ROAST PIG BARBEQUE

•^lay 1982It^xtension Bulletin E-1604

COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICEMICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY

PLANNING A ROASTPIG BARBEQUE

By Alden Booren and Christopher ObergDepartment of Food Science and Human Nutrition

A successful pig roast or barbeque does not happenby accident. Usually some person or committee has

anticipated potential problems and avoided them withproper planning. Here are some of the things to con-sider.

The MenuA good rule of thumb is to keep the menu simple.

The important thing is to provide food which isn't toomessy and can be served easily and rapidly. If paper orplastic utensils are used, remember there is a limit towhat a paper plate can hold.

Baked beans and hot potato salad are popular hotitems. Cold items often chosen include: potato salads,three-bean salads, green salads and cabbage slaws. Donot overlook relishes and similar convenient fingerfoods. Carefully choose appropriate beverages and dis-pensers. If a dessert is planned, be sure to keep it sim-ple — fresh fruits, cookies or an ice cream cup are goodchoices. Remember, hot foods should be held andserved at 140°F, or above. You will also "make points"if cold foods are served and stored below 40°F. Placingserving dishes for cold foods in shaved ice is becomingincreasingly popular during the summer months. Quan-tity recipes for many of these foods are availablethrough the Department of Food Science and HumanNutrition, 100 Meats Laboratory, Michigan State Uni-versity, East Lansing, MI 48824.

Barbequed meat, especially pork, goes well as a maincourse or can be served in a bun. A bun will keep themeat warm, prevent it from drying out, is easy to han-dle, and often will eliminate the need for a knife orfork. Order buns pre-sliced in advance from a bakery.Rye or whole wheat buns hold their shape better thanstandard white hamburger buns even when exposed tomeat juices or barbeque sauces.

The MeatSeveral factors should be considered when ordering

the meat. First, get an accurate estimate of the numberof people to be fed. When carcass pigs are considered,estimate one pound carcass weight per serving. A 150-pound carcass will feed 150 people. If boneless pork isroasted, you will get four small servings, three goodservings or two liberal servings per pound. To be sure

to have enough for hungry adults, figure two and onehalf servings per pound of boneless pork.

If you are choosing an animal before slaughter, pick alean, young hog. Boars are not recommended. Meatfrom boars has a strong odor during cooking, and an offflavor. This "sex" odor and flavor is often identified as"soapy" or "urine-like," and the odor increases as boarsapproach sexual maturity.

The butcher should prepare the hog for roasting. Thecarcass should not be split. The belly should be openfrom the breastbone to the pelvic bone and the feetcleaned especially well. Leaf lard, kidney fat and kid-neys should be removed. If the animal is too fat, thelean yield will be low and flareups will occur duringcooking. The head can be left on for aesthetic reasonsor removed at time of slaughter. If it is left on, a 210-pound live pig should yield a 165-pound carcass (78%).If it is removed, it should yield a 147 pound carcass(70%).

To prepare the pig for roasting, many prefer to rubthe inside of the carcass with seasoning salt. If the headis left on, place a block of wood in the mouth (replacethis with an apple at time of serving). Cover the earsand tail with foil to prevent these portions from burn-ing. Do not pierce the skin of the carcass at this time.

It has often been asked if it is necessary to age themeat. Aging of beef is done by holding at 34-36°F for10-14 days. Aging beef makes the meat more tenderand improves flavor. Aging pork is not recommended

because tenderness is not a problem in a youthful porkcarcass and flavors can become objectionable due to theunsaturated fats found in the species.

Necessary EquipmentEquipment necessary for a roast pig barbeque varies

depending upon the cooking method. However, sharpknives, steels, cutting boards and a meat thermometerare essential for all operations. Wood cutting boards areacceptable, although plastic boards are recommendedbecause they are easier to clean and sanitize. When alarge hog is roasted, a 4 x 6 foot piece of clean J^-inchplywood will make an excellent cutting board. A stain-less steel skewer-type thermometer with a measuringrange of O-22O°F is recommended for determininginternal temperature.

Carcass or suckling pigs are usually roasted on a spitin an enclosed rotisserie or in a temperature-controlledoven or smokehouse. A whole hog can be roasted in apit, but this is not recommended because of the irregu-lar shape of the carcass and the necessity for turning thepig while cooking. Turning the pig on a rotisserie spitor roasting it in a smokehouse with circulating air pro-vides uniform cooking. When pit cooking, extreme caremust be taken to prevent the pig from being contami-nated with dirt or sand. Cooking in a pit works best forboneless cuts of wrapped meat.

When roasting a pig in a controlled temperaturesmokehouse, place the pig on a large tray or in a largepan suitable for carrying the finished pig before cooking.Once properly cooked, the finished pig is fragile andwill tear or fall apart if handled roughly. A sheet ofthoroughly scrubbed corrugated roofing metal makestransporting to the serving site less difficult. Do not usealuminum metal for this tray. The pig can be cookedbelly down on this metal tray and the carver can removemajor portions from this position. You will also need alarge stock pot to catch the drippings from the pig. Thiswill avoid a messy cleanup of the smokehouse floorafter cooking. Smoking the pig is not necessary. How-ever, some people prefer to smoke the pig while cook-ing because it provides additional flavor and produces apig with a golden-chestnut brown color.

If you use a rotisserie hog roaster as shown in Figure1, you will need 80 to 100 pounds of good qualityhardwood charcoal. The charcoal should be placed onthe sides and to the rear of the roaster, and not underthe hog. A can of charcoal lighter fluid will be necessaryto start the fire. The roaster must be positioned near anelectrical outlet for the rotisserie.

Many people prefer to add a stick of applewood orhickory (18" x 4" diameter) to the coals during the last4-6 hours of cooking. This adds a distinctive flavor tothe roast pig.

You will need a clean table covered with foil or corru-

Figure 1. Portable Pig Roaster.

gated roofing metal for turning the hog out on after re-moving from the spit. Gloves (white are often pre-ferred) will also be necessary to handle the hot spit aswell as other metal parts on the rotisserie roaster. Youwill also need a stock pot or pail to catch drippingswhich may be as much as one to two gallons from a150-pound carcass. Many rotisserie roasters areequipped with a drain for the drippings.

Plans for a pit barbeque are shown in Figures 2 and 3.Hardwood fuels are recommended because they burnclean and give hotter coals. Do not use creosoted wood.Plan to have a stock of wood, well seasoned and dryabout three times the volume of the pit to burn down tocoals. Dry gravel or coarse dry sand is necessary to coverthe coals. Metal plates J4-inch thick can be used inplace of gravel. Sheet metal with steel pipes or postscan be used to cover the pit. Cover the metal with 4-6inches of dirt to hold in the heat.

Cooking ProcedureRegardless of the method of barbequeing, pork

should be cooked to a standard internal temperature of160°F., as measured by a meat thermometer. To obtainthe correct internal temperature, insert the thermome-ter in the front shoulder (don't hit the bone) or in thelargest muscle of the ham (not resting on fat or bone).The skewer style thermometer measures temperature atthe tip or point; therefore, the tip should be in thecoldest portion of the carcass. After removing the pigfrom the cooker, the meat will continue to cook and thetemperature will rise 8-10°F. Meat will fall from thebone at 170°F, or higher.

Because of variations in size, shape, weight, air cur-rent, water and method of cooking, a rule of minutesper pound cannot be given. In a temperature-controlledsmokehouse, a 150-pound carcass pig can usually beroasted at 180°F overnight. If internal temperature is at170°F, the pig should be held at 170°F until carving. Ifit is below 160°F, the house temperature can be raisedto 200°F or 225°F to finish off the pig. Cooking timeswill be 8-10 hours for a 150-pound carcass, or 6-8 hoursfor a 100-pound carcass if the temperature is maintainedat 2OO-25O°F in the rotisserie.

When using a rotisserie hog roaster, the temperatureinside the roaster should be maintained at 200-250°F.Avoid temperatures of 300°F or higher. Begin with 20pounds of charcoal. As the coals burn down, add 7 to 10pounds of new charcoal at a time. A greater shareshould be added to the part of the roaster containing theshoulder area of the pig. After 1 to 2 hours of roasting,the hog will appear to sweat. Puncture the pig's skinwith an ice pick or meat fork to allow fat to come outand self baste the hog.

Be sure the pig is securely attached to, and balanced

on, the spit. A wire mesh can be used to secure the pigto the spit. Often the pig will shrink and come loosefrom the spit after 2 to 3 hours of roasting. Maintain adistance of 25 inches between the hog and the coals.Usually, there are trays for the coals attached to the sideof the roaster. If the coals are directly under the hog,drippings may catch on fire. Fire in the roaster or on thehog should be avoided. A fire can be extinguished in arotisserie by closing the doors and smothering it. Avoidextinguishing flames or cooling this system with water.After cooking is complete, the coals should be extin-guished by closing the doors and smothering.

When roasting boneless roasts in a pit, it will take 6-7hours to prepare a proper bed of coals. For roasts weigh-ing 10-14 pounds, allow 8-10 hours for the meat tocook. Season the raw meat if desired, then wrap in wetstrength parchment paper or aluminum foil, and over-wrap in burlap or muslin. Top the coals with dry sandand place the meat in the pit. Space the pieces so theydo not touch. Put a meat thermometer in one of thelarger pieces, at one end of the pit.

At this point, speed counts. Cover the pit as indi-cated. Make sure there is no steam escaping. If rain is apossibility, cover the pit with tarpaulins. Two to threehours before serving, uncover a small area of the pitwhere the piece containing the meat thermometer is lo-cated. When the roast has reached the desired tempera-ture, remove some of the dirt from the top allowing thepit to cool enough so a further rise in temperature willnot occur. After 12 hours, the fire has usually died outand the meat should be removed. If beef is roasted,140°F is rare, 160°F is medium and 175°F is well done.Roasts which have been heated to 180°F or above arevery difficult to carve and serve.

Carving the MeatRules for carving meat include keeping it as simple as

possible. Generally, it is not recommended to carvemeat on the serving line. Always separate thick musclesfrom thin, and slice lean against the grain. One carvercan usually keep up with two people placing meat inbuns.

To carve a roast pig, place the hog on the cuttingboard with the head to your left. First remove the headby making a deep circular incision about Vz inch behindthe ears. Begin on the side away from you, continueover the neck and on the side closest to you. Separatethe neck joint (atlas and axis) with the point of theblade and cut through any fleshy muscle at either side.Whenever possible, remove the hide next. If properlyremoved, the hide can be cut into small chunks for thenibblers. Many find it crisp and tasty.

Next, remove the shoulder or picnic. There is anatural dividing seam between the outside part of the

Figure 2. Plans for Digging and Firing a Pit.

10' pit wi l l accommodate 1400 lbs of meat

kJa

51 p i t w i l l accommodate200 lbs of meat

4 p.m.

Start f i r e with kindling.

6:30 p.m.

Trench is half f i l l e d withwood.

9 p.m.

Pit is f i l led with wood.

11 p.m.

COALS

Pit is a l i t t l e over hal f - f i l ledwith coals.

Figure 3. Preparing the Pit for Cooking.Side view

Putting in gravel

.iJkGRAVEL

COALS

h

Very thin layer offinely ground gravel.

Top view

• • .• • • • • • • • •• • • •• • • • <• • • •

• •• • • • • • •

• • •

• v.v.v.v.w.v.v.w.v• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • a

• • •

• • •

•_• • • • • • •

• • • • • • • • • • • • •*•• "• • • * • * • * • * • * • * • * • * • * • * • * • " • "

• • • • • • • • • • • • • a ~• • • • • • • • • •

W.V.V.VV.-. • . •. .V.V.# .V-V. ' .# .V. . . . . • . - .• • • • • • • • • • • a • • • • • • • • •

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • a • • • a• • • • • • • • • • • •

• • • • • • • • • • a•v.v.v.wv.v.

JPutting in sand

SANDRAVELCOALS

Top view

After sand is put on noneof the coals can be seen.

SANDGRAVEL

COALS

Side view

Dirt holds in heat DIRT

SHEET IRON

Top view

shoulder and the body. There are no bones to unjoint,so cut through and lift off this section. This can be doneby making a circular cut beginning at the forepart of theshoulder; continue up over the top near the backboneand down again. When the cut is completed, pushdown on the leg to expose the seam and follow to com-plete detachment. This portion can be placed on theboard (cut surface up) so the arm and blade bones canbe easily located. The muscles can be separated fromthese bones.

Next, remove the hind leg nearest to you. Insert afork in the meaty section of the ham and cut along thebackbone near the tail. This will separate the two legs.Twist the leg to one side and extend the cut along thepelvic (aitch) bone from the backbone. Cut through theflank meat which is now all that holds the ham to thecarcass. Now separate the muscles from bone and fat.Slice individual muscles across the grain. Remove theother picnic and ham using similar methods.

You are now ready to separate and slice muscles fromthe body of the animal. Run the point of the bladealong the full length of the backbone from neck to tail.To remove the loin muscle, lift and roll this muscleaway from the backbone as the knife follows the ribs.This muscle will separate naturally from the fat on thelower rib. It can be sliced on an auxiliary platter. The

other side of the loin can be removed in a similarmanner. Allow Vz to 1 inch so the knife will follow theother side of the spinal process. When carving a veryyoung suckling pig, you may prefer to cut through theribs when making your first cut along the backbone.This should not be difficult in a young animal since thebones are very soft. The ribs can then be used as aslicing guide when cutting this muscle. Do not forget toremove the tenderloin muscle which is located on theinside of the body cavity with the meatiest portion inthe area near the hip bone. To finish carving, it isnecessary to separate lean from fat and bone on the por-tion remaining since many minor muscles are not yetremoved.

All people involved in cooking and serving should beclean and neat. White jackets or aprons and paper hatsshould be provided. Those preparing or serving shouldrefrain from eating or smoking. Leftovers should be re-frigerated immediately after serving is complete. If youare freezing meat in a home freezer, wrap in 2 poundpackages or less and distribute the packages evenlythroughout the freezer. Do not freeze more than 20pounds of meat at one time in a home freezer.Maximum freezer storage for roast pork is 1-2 months.Remember, frozen cooked meats lose quality rapidlyand should be used as soon as possible.

Serving the BarbequeAdvance planning and adequate personnel are a must

when serving this type of meal. Serve the foodpromptly at the appointed time. Avoid prolonged wait-ing in line. Use "island" tables whenever possible forbeverages, paper goods, relishes, barbeque sauces, saltand pepper. Keep "island" tables out of the main trafficflow.

A popular layout for serving is shown in Fig. 4. Thislayout was recommended by William J. Loeffel in "The

Large Quantity Barbeque" published by the NationalLive Stock and Meat Board. A good rule is to serve allof the guests in one hour or less. A line setup with 10servers, as shown in Fig. 4, will serve 600 people perhour. This is an optimistic estimate using experiencedservers and adult guests. If children and inexperiencedservers are in your plan, allow for fewer people servedper hour. When this type of layout is used for a buffetline, plan on a maximum number of 100 people servedper hour per line.

Figure 4. Suggested Layout for Serving the Barbeque.

DOUBLE COLUMN / / 2 x 4Railing

Eati Sandwich HOT S A L A D FRUIT &s SLICER Maker DISH DESSERT COFFEE

o o o o o j o o o o48"

ISUPPLIES

t #3 0 Coffee Supply

I48"

o o o o o I o o o oEating SLICER Sandwich HOT SALAD FRUIT & COFFEEutensils Maker DISH DESSERT

36"

118"-

MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY

COOPERATIVEEXTENSIONSERVICE

MSU Is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Institution. Cooperative Extension Service programs are open to all without regardto race, color, national origin, or sex.Issued in furtherance of cooperative extension work in agriculture and home economics, acts of May 8, and June 30, 1914, Incooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Gordon E. Quyer, Director, Cooperative Extension Service, Michigan StateUniversity, E. Lansing, Ml 48824.This information Is for educational purposes only. Reference to commercial products or trade names does not imply endorsementby the Cooperative Extension Service or bias against those not mentioned. This bulletin becomes public property upon publicationand may be reprinted verbatim as a separate or within another publication with credit to MSU. Reprinting cannot be used toendorse or advertise a commercial product or company.0-13668 1 P-5M-5:82-UP. Price 30 cents.